Old Gods
Very old and very secretive, worship of the Old Gods has unknown roots even older than the elves, some of whom discovered shines to the ancient deities, and the Wild Elves have been worshiping them ever since. The pantheon of the Old Gods is seen as both a family, and a royal court. Ancient Family The myths of the Old Gods claim that life came about in a sudden burst of energy. The origin of this energy is a forbidden field of study in the theology of the Old Gods, since it is believed that anyone with knowledge of this genesis would have control over life, an honor which is reserved exclusively for the great mother – Silphra, the goddess of death. After the first birth, Wilsif, the first living being, was sickly and weak. He was nurtured by Silphra, and over time, life came out of death, with Wilsif begetting the multitude of living beings. Those who worship the gods believe that everything is descended from these events, and that through them, they can be connected to the entire world. Seasonal Courts The court of the Old Gods has a complicated hierarchy reminiscent of a group of children playing with one another, with ranks somehow being both higher and lower than those around it, and with rules seeming to be made up as they fit the fancy of those playing. So enigmatic is the circular ladder of rankings, that it seems to the outsider (and perhaps even to those inside) that there are no underlings – there is simply no one to be ruled by the court. In theory, the court is separated into four sections, each based on one of the seasons. There is a lord and a lady of each court, as well as several masters and mistresses, and a handful of dukes and duchesses. These ranks, however, are not exclusive, and while some of the gods, such as the Autumnal Lord, clearly fall into one court; there are others, like Mistress Moon, who seem to flit between one court and another, further complicating the rankings within the courts. Powers The Old Gods are ancient, powerful beings. Not as strong as a true God, or even the Spirits, the Old Gods are comparable to particularly potent fey, with power over nature. These beings are infused into the world, so ingrained into it that they can speak to it and control it. As this power comes from the gods’ ingraining themselves into the world, whatever part of nature they find most interesting, beautiful, or fun is the part which they hold the most power over. All of the Old Gods are strong enough to grant favors and to give powers to lesser magic users, such as paladins and any rangers who use such methods. Druids can also entreat the Old Gods to empower then as nature druids, and warlocks can make deals with these beings the same as powerful fey. The only of the Old Gods to be powerful enough to empower a cleric are the Tree Mother and the Animal Father. Church & Servants No one knows who first started the worship of the Old Gods, perhaps a branch of the Others, or perhaps a totally separate race of forgotten beings. Whatever the case, the only people who worship the Old Gods in number are the Wild Elves, with scattered halflings, gnomes, and even humans who form devout cults. Followers of these cults seek to ingrain themselves into the world just as much as their gods, and to become one with nature. Any cults known of are quickly condemned by the Church of Sara, and quickly disbanded.